After every disaster, there’s a tendency for people to come together and decide what should be done to prevent a similar tragedy from happening again.

But that collective response appears to be lacking regarding the inferno at the Marshall Square community, which gutted the $20-million-plus senior-living facility and claimed the life of one of its elderly residents last month in Evans.

The Columbia County Republican Party held a straw poll this past weekend to see what people were thinking about the ever-growing field of presidential candidates. The results are a little surprising.

Yes, I understand that straw polls are not in the least bit scientific or representative samples of registered voters. Still, since Jane Boyles, the local GOP membership chairwoman, shared the results with me, I thought I would pass them along.

This is in response to worldly and backsliding Christians who presume Jesus would support same-sex marriage. Therefore, the question is, what would Jesus do about same-sex marriage?

The answer should be obvious. Jesus would not capitulate. He would not fold under pressure and embrace, condone or publicly endorse sin. Unlike unscrupulous mega-church pastors, Jesus would not appease sinful behavior in order to remain relevant, secure monetary contributions, or sell books.

This is what’s happening in California as the state tries to cope with a record-breaking drought now in its fourth year.

Some Golden State officials recommend that they implement a water-recycling policy known as direct potable reuse. That involves taking sewer water, treating it with a three-step process, then pumping it back into the water supply so that it can be used for drinking.

In effect, human beings would do the same thing that pet dogs do when they lap water from a commode. Critics of the concept refer to it somewhat distastefully as “toilet to tap.”

Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of the administration to allow ObamaCare subsidies to flow through HealthCare.gov. This is a disappointment for the rule of law and for the states that have fought to keep some of ObamaCare’s flawed policies out of their states.

While the administration and ObamaCare supporters attempt to convince the American people that it is now smooth sailing for ObamaCare, nothing could be further from the truth.

The construction-zone messages are directed at motorists navigating the expanding network of suburban roads, but they could just as easily serve as a warning to county leaders mapping out the region’s growth during the next couple of decades.

That Columbia County is growing is not a surprise – that’s been the story for more than 30 years now.